How to install doors

Recommendation points

• What are the ways to install interior doors
• First way (most effective)
• Second way
• Third way
• Fourth way
• How to install interior doors
• We install the doors ourselves – let’s get started!
• We collect the door frame
• We put the loops
• How to install the doors yourself – the next stage of installation
• Filling the free space between the door frame and the opening with polyurethane foam
• We close the box and the areas filled with polyurethane foam between the frame and the doorway with decorative platbands

The decision to replace interior doors sooner or later comes to every homeowner. If you can make a high-quality inner door only with the ability to do carpentry and carpentry, then many are quite capable of installing it – you just need to follow the step-by-step installation instructions, which is given below.

I will note right away – if you are not sure that you can handle the installation, it is better to invite professionals for its execution, especially if the interior door (s) you bought cost a round sum.

What are the ways to install interior doors

First way (most effective)

According to the size of the door leaf, the door frame is assembled, the lock and two hinges (detachable) are cut in. With the help of 6-8 self-tapping screws of sufficient length, the box is fastened to the wall of the opening through the through method. Adjustment of the position of the door block is adjusted with wedges (made of wood or plastic) – the adjustment is carried out until the door stops changing its position when opening / closing, i.e. stand upright, without distortions. The free space between the wall and the door frame is filled with foam.

Second way

The frame is being assembled along the door leaf. For alignment when installed in the opening, a level, tape measure, mortgages, wooden (plastic) wedges and the door itself are used. Then the free space between the box and the wall is filled with polyurethane foam. After 24 hours, hinges are cut into the box, along which the door leaf is hung. The width of the gap of a recessed door is regulated by the depth to which the hinges are cut. The last one to hit the door is the lock. The main disadvantages of this method: polyurethane foam is able to change its volume upward with increasing air humidity and vice versa. Over time, the box starts to lead and the door wedges.

Third way

The box is assembled along the door leaf, into which the lock and two hinges are cut. Installation of the door block is carried out by through fastening to the wall on self-tapping screws (3-6 points) through the hinges and the lock striker. Adjustment of the door block is made with wooden (plastic) wedges, the free space between the block and the wall is filled with foam. The main disadvantage is the weak fastening, since three points for fastening are not enough.

Fourth way

Assembling the box according to the size of the door leaf, inserting the lock and hinges. Installation of the door block in the opening is carried out using wedges (wood, plastic) and mounting tape, fixed on both sides through the ends of the door frame to the wall on self-tapping screws. The free space between the box and the wall is filled with polyurethane foam. With this installation method, it is extremely difficult to adjust the position of the door block, since the angle at which the screws are screwed into the wall is 45 degrees.

To install interior doors, the most durable will be the first method described – we will consider it in more detail.

How to install interior doors

As a rule, the installation of interior doors is preceded by repairs. When carrying out repairs, it is important to install interior doors on time so that they ideally fit into the overall interior of the room – it is advisable to install internal doors before finishing the walls, before starting work with the flooring and installing the plinth. After installation, completing the wall decoration, it will be possible to align the line of conjunction between the wall and the door structure (walls are usually uneven), as well as hide defects that appeared during the installation of the door frame.

A note about thresholds: this part of the box must be at the interior doors to the bathroom (toilet and bathroom) and balcony. It is better to put other doors without a threshold (the bottom of the box) – the legs will suffer less, and during installation, put a temporary block in place of the threshold (with subsequent removal).

We install the doors ourselves – let’s get started!

First of all, we remove the box from the old door – it is easier to assemble and install a new one than to try to fit a new door leaf onto the old frame.

If the walls are brick, first you need to remove the nails connecting the old box to the wooden inserts in the wall, otherwise a serious piece of plaster will fall off. Usually, the number of fastening nails on the vertical sides of the box is no more than 2-3 pieces – you need to find their caps, slightly saw off the bar on both sides of them, cut out a little the tip of the nail with the head from the bar using a chisel and remove the nails with pliers or a nail puller. After removing the nails, you need to saw any vertical bar in half and take out the old box.

If the old door frame is metal (usually these are found in houses with an improved layout), you will need to cut the pins that secure the frame to the reinforcement in the wall. Then the box must be removed by inserting a small crowbar or nailer between the box and the concrete opening and applying force. This is a difficult task – such boxes are welded from the inside with something like iron brackets (2-3 pieces). Next, you need to prepare a concrete opening for the installation of a new door frame, level the inner surfaces, remove excess concrete – a punch is required here. It is especially important to align the corners of the opening.

The opening of standard dimensions should be 2000 mm high and at least 600 mm wide (standard width can be 600, 700, 800 or 900 mm). In order for the door frame to fit in the opening, estimate its dimensions – the width of the door plus the double thickness of the vertical bar for the frame plus 20-30 mm for setting the gap and adjustment – we get the required size. The height of the required opening is calculated in the same way..

In a situation where the door frame does not fit into the existing opening in width, it is necessary, using a circular saw, to reduce the width of the timber that makes up the vertical sides in the frame – this is much easier than hammering in a concrete wall. It is impossible to reduce the thickness of the side wall of the box by more than 10-15 mm, while most of it is better to cut off the bar on which the lock striker will be placed – during the operation of the door structure, less load will go on it.

In extremely rare cases, it may be necessary to reduce the height of the door leaf, due to the insufficient height of the opening – you need to saw off the same fragments from the bottom and from the top, otherwise the overall design of the door will be violated. I hope that you do not have to do this – the appearance of the door leaf can seriously suffer from this operation, additional work will be required to restore it.

We collect the door frame

The assembly of the box must be carried out on a flat surface (best of all, on the floor) outside the doorway, mark and insert the detachable hinges in the same place. Regardless of whether you purchased a ready-made (assembled) box or together with a door leaf you received a set of bars for the box and cashing-in – you need to adjust the box.

It is necessary to put the door leaf on the floor, raising it above the floor to a height equal to the width of the timber intended for the box – the timber should move freely, and there should be no “extra” gap. For lifting the door leaf, books of the required thickness are suitable, with a soft cover – the surface of the door will not be damaged.

When assembling the frame, you need to maintain a small gap (3-4 mm) between the door leaf and the frame (on all sides). If you have a finished box and the gaps come out smaller – remove the fastening nails, adjust the gaps to the desired width, then re-connect the box with nails. It is easier to adjust the position of the frame and door leaf if you purchased the frame disassembled. When buying, pay attention to the bars for forming the box – they must have a strictly rectangular shape, without any bends and irregularities. It will be most convenient if the top bar for the box has a horizontal L-shaped notch. I note that when the timber is cut at an angle of 45 degrees, it is extremely difficult to align the door frame.

So, we assemble the box – we put two even beams on the sides of the door leaf, maintain the gap between the door frame and the beam, cut the upper ends of the beam at a right angle. We are preparing the upper crossbar – you need to mark its length, cut out the L-shaped groove for fastening to the side beam of the box (if it is not there), install it, maintaining a gap of 2-3 mm between the frame and the door leaf. It is necessary to make a threshold (if necessary) – just like the upper part of the box, install it with a gap of 3-4 mm from the door leaf. If there is no threshold, you need to measure a distance of 15-20 mm from the edge of the door leaf to the floor level (the floor under the door must be even!)

We mark the location of the hinges, they usually cut in at a distance of 200 mm from the upper and lower edges of the door – you need to measure this distance and mark the position of the hinges on the frame and door leaf. You can first cut out the hinge slots, and then connect the parts of the door frame with nails, or you can cut out the slots after assembling the frame – as you like. It is imperative to maintain a right angle between the sides and top / bottom of the box! Before connecting the box structure with nails 70-90 mm long (short parts are nailed to long ones – not vice versa!), Drill holes for nails with a drill (drill diameter about 3 mm). From the side of the hinges, two nails are driven in each – keeping the required distance from the edge and middle of the bar. From the side of the lock, knock out (between the middle and the edge of the upper beam) one nail at the top and bottom (if there is a threshold) – you can use the mount on one nail to adjust the gap, rotating the beam along the axis (useful when adjusting the gaps between the door leaf and the frame in the assembled form).

We put the loops

There are three types of door hinges – left, right and universal. It is not difficult to determine which hinges are needed for your door – stand in front of the door so as to open its sash towards you, if you open the door with your left hand, you need left hinges, with your right – right hinges. Universal hinges can be installed both right and left. For interior doors, two hinges are enough, for steel doors more (from 3 hinges) will be required – they have a greater weight.

When inserting, the door hinges are recessed into the door / box to the thickness of the hinge plate, while the hinge should lie flat, with its entire plane. When setting the hinges, one important point should be taken into account: measure the thickness of the door tightness, then apply this dimension to the door frame at the hinge installation site – the distance between the edge of the hinge plate and the edge of the door leaf should be 1-2 mm less than the distance from the edge of the hinge to the marked one on the box the width of the canvas. Thanks to this little trick, the door will not touch the inside of the door frame. It is also important to install the door hinges so that the axial connection of the hinge leaves does not touch either the door leaf or the door frame – otherwise the door will creak when opening / closing. It is convenient to make markings for cutting a loop with a scalpel or a sharp knife, you do not need to use a pencil – the marking accuracy decreases. The slot for installing the door hinge is cut out with a sharp chisel. When installing the hinges on self-tapping screws, you need to drill holes for them (drill with a diameter of about 3 mm) in the frame / door leaf, first, no more than two self-tapping screws on each of the hinge planes (one on the edge, the second closer to the hinge axis) – in the process of adjustment the position of the door leaf it may be necessary to adjust the position of the hinges.

How to install the doors yourself – the next stage of installation

So, the hinges are embedded and the box is assembled. If the size of the opening is insufficient, as well as with various obstacles (concrete protrusions, etc.), it is necessary to make adjustments using a perforator (or a hammer and chisel). We put the box in the doorway, carefully check the verticality of its position with a plumb line of sufficient length (!), Check the strictly horizontal position of the upper beam and threshold (if any). If deviations are noticed, we correct. We fix the box in the opening using pre-prepared wedges (homemade wooden or purchased plastic) – in the corners and further, with a step of 500 mm (approximately). After installing the door frame and securing its position with wedges, we hang the door. It is necessary to check the vertical position of the door leaf using a level and, if necessary, change the position of the split hinges. We carry out fine adjustment and fitting – this operation will take at least an hour, because the position of the door leaf in relation to the frame should be as close to ideal as possible (all gaps are at the same level, no distortions, etc.).

The adjustment is carried out in stages (this is more convenient):

1. We check / adjust the vertical position of the hinged door leaf from the hinge side (the side of the door leaf where the hinges are attached). To do this, press (fix) the tip of the plumb line on the upper corner of the door leaf, lower the plumb line to the floor level;
2. Adjustment of the parallel position of the lines of the door leaf and door frame;
3. Adjustment from the side of the striker (opposite to the loop side);
4. Clearance adjustment. Most often, the line of the gap between the door leaf and the frame is distorted from the side of the split hinges – adjustment with wedges and spacers is needed. The spacer is necessary when the gap is curved towards the door leaf, it is installed between the vertical sides of the door frame in the open position of the door, a thin beam with a section of 50 mm is quite suitable² – it is easier to install and then remove.
   • If the gap on the hinge side is too small – you need to remove the hinges, put cardboard gaskets under them and reinstall, if the gap is too large, remove the hinges and deepen the seats for them with a chisel.
   • The gap adjustment from the lock side is performed by turning the vertical bar of the door frame (it was for these purposes that it was not firmly fixed).
   • If the door leaf rests against the top or bottom of the box, the box will have to be disassembled and re-adjusted.

Filling the free space between the door frame and the opening with polyurethane foam

After completing the adjustment of the vertical position of the door frame, as well as the frame in relation to the door leaf, we proceed to fixing the results with mounting foam. In order for the foam not to open the box when expanding, the work is done in two steps: first, you need to fill several points with foam, then, after it has set (usually from 1 to 3 hours), all other cavities between the box and the opening. In order for the polyurethane foam to adhere better to surfaces, you need to moisten them with water from a spray (spray bottle). If, when spraying foam, you accidentally stain the door with it, quickly remove it with a cloth with solvent or any alcohol-containing liquid (you can use vodka) – it will be impossible to remove dried foam from the door leaf without damage.

Having completely filled the voids with polyurethane foam, you need to wait 2-3 hours and remove the temporary spacers installed to adjust the gaps – the foam will reliably hold the adjustment results.

We close the box and the areas filled with polyurethane foam between the frame and the doorway with decorative platbands

First of all, we saw off the protrusions of the wedges and cut off the excess polyurethane foam. We put the platbands: from the looped side – without touching the loops (approximate indentation is 3-4 mm) with a lock – while maintaining a gap between the casing and the door leaf. To fasten the platbands, you will need the thinnest nails (finishing), about 4 mm long. If platbands made of MDF are installed, you must first drill holes for nails with a thin drill, otherwise they will not enter. It is most convenient to set the upper platband first, cutting it off at an angle of 45 degrees, then the vertical platbands (alternately), lowering the lower edges to floor level.

In cases where the width of the doorway significantly exceeds the width of the door frame (if the interior door is exposed in the opening of the internal capital wall), a so-called extension will be required – bars of the required length, at least 15 mm thick. The upper bar-addition is attached to 3 self-tapping screws, the side (vertical) ones – to 5 self-tapping screws, through pre-drilled holes. When gaps are formed between the additional bars and the opening in the wall, they must be filled with foam or inserted into them of the desired size.

Completed – the door is installed and ready to use.